User:Peter Ellis
Peter Ellis
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My real name is Peter Ellis.
I live in Canberra, the capital city of Australia.
My hobbies include: Amateur Radio, electronics, Community Broadcast Radio, web site maintenance (for various community groups), reviewing books (for the state-wide magazine of my church), running publicity campaigns for community groups, making fruit wine (just like Jesus did!), and a few other things. But, before all that is my family.
I am a Christian and, along with my wife and family, participate in the life of my local church, Kippax Uniting Church & Community Centre, a congregation of the Uniting Church in Australia. Our church is very active in community affairs, employing 18 staff (as of mid-2009), including one person part-time to manage our involvement with children through the pre-school Playgroups (12 sessions per week at last count, reaching well well over 100 families) that operate from our purpose-built facility that is integrated into the church building and used on Sundays as a creche. My wife helped start this program when our children were small. We also have several people full-time to work as community counsellors and another others as part-time counsellors. We also have two full time ministers, and one part time. I feel privileged to be part of a church that has a priority in placing people outside itself high on its priority list, rather than having its attention turned inwards. My wife (a teacher) runs several programs there as a volunteer: a holiday program for Primary School children; and, a program to help parents institute effective discipline (hence a happy home) for their 2-12 year olds.
Our church has among its people various leading Australian scientists, thinkers, social activists, etc; but you would never know it: To me, and them, we are all just ordinary folk.